With the swearing-in of two Salisbury Township Police Department sergeants who were promoted from detectives, an eligibility list has been authorized to select officers for two detective positions.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners voted 4-0, with one commissioner absent at the June 23 meeting, to approve a motion requesting the Civil Service Commission create a promotion eligibility list for the rank of detective.

Township Commissioner Alok Patnaik made the motion, seconded by Commissioner Heather Lipkin, to bring the motion to a vote.

District Judge Michael J. Pochron, Lehigh County Magisterial District Court 31-1-08, administered the oath of office to Sgt. Christopher Casey and Sgt. Charles Whitehead.

Casey became a detective Jan. 15, 2017. He was hired Oct. 8, 2007, by Salisbury.

Whitehead became a detective Jan. 15, 2017. He was hired June 2, 2008, by Salisbury.

“This is an important night for the police department,” Salisbury Township Chief of Police Kevin Soberick said before the swearing-in-ceremony, which was attended by family and friends in the meeting room of the municipal building.

“It’s a changing of the guard,” Soberick added.

In other business at the meeting, when commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the township bills payable of $301,731.65, it was noted by board of commissioners President Debra Brinton, “Our bills have gone up. Everything obviously has gone up.”

In other business, commissioners voted 4-0 to approve:

•A resolution authorizing Salisbury Township to act as grantee for Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program Grant funding whereby the township will apply for a $3.5 million grant from RACP.

Commissioner Alex Karol made the motion, seconded by Lipkin.

According to a news release from LVHN, Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital will receive $3.5 million to expand its 32-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest. When the project is complete, the facility will have 46 to 50 Level IV NICU beds and negative pressure rooms.

“It just means the paperwork is going through us so that the hospital can get the grant,” Brinton said before the vote.

•A motion to amend the Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Council bylaws. The amendments include: meetings are every other month on even-numbered months instead of monthly, the citizen-led board will elect its own officers and two unexcused absences will be allowed.

Karol made the motion, seconded by Patnaik, to bring the motion to a vote.

“We want to move to every other month in the hope that they can come up with a solution for the public,” Lipkin, commissioners’ EAC liaison, said before the vote.

“It might open it up to more people who would want to get involved,” Brinton said before the vote.

•A motion to accept a time-extension request for Plot 886 Subdivision to Sept. 30.

Lipkin made the motion, seconded by Karol, to bring the motion to a vote.

“It’s an extension of a cul-de-sac,” Salisbury Township Engineering Consultant David J. Tettemer of Keystone Consulting Engineers, Inc., said before the vote concerning the five-lot subdivision off Moser Drive.

During the officials’ discussion portion:

•Salisbury Township Director of Finance Paul Ziegenfus said he and other officials are meeting in early July with a state representative concerning the Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company Swain Station Project.

“Hopefully, there’s some money there,” Ziegunfus said.

Ziegenfus met with United States Department of Agriculture officials.

“Western and our office is getting all the parameters together,” Ziegenfus said of the USDA grant application.

The Swain Station will be demolished to make way for the $3.1 million project, with Western having raised $400,000.

Salisbury is seeking a $2.7 million USDA grant, financed at 2.5 percent interest over 40 years. The township budget impact for principal and interest is estimated at $110,000 annually.

•Salisbury Township Director of Public Works Jim Levernier said 25 additional replacement township street signs are expected June 27. There were 30 street signs replaced. There are 150 street signs needing to be replaced.

•Representatives of Republic Services spoke during the workshop session. Elliot Crowley, general manager, Republic Services and Paul Temby, operations manager, Republic Services, also answered questions.

“Everything has been going well for awhile, I must admit,” Brinton said. “And when you can’t come, I get a text from the township.”

•An agreement between the township and Salisbury Township School District with BusPatrol America LLC would place cameras on district school buses’ exteriors in an attempt to apprehend motorists who violate school-bus safety regulations.

Salisbury Township offices are closed July 4 for the Fourth of July holiday.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners is next scheduled to meet 7 p.m. July 14, in the meeting room of the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.

The Salisbury Township Zoning Hearing Board is scheduled to meet 7 p.m. July 13 in the municipal building.